1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brake device, particularly to a centrifugal brake device for a dual-bearing reel, which is configured to brake a spool rotatably attached to a reel unit by means of centrifugal force.
2. Background Art
In the dual-bearing reels used for casting in fishing, brake force is generally applied to a spool for preventing backlash caused when the rotation speed of the spool becomes faster than the releasing speed of a fishing line in casting. It is widely known that some of the spool brake devices for applying brake force to the spool include a centrifugal brake device configured to brake the spool by means of centrifugal force produced by spool rotation.
For example, the centrifugal brake device of the type includes a rotation member, a plurality of moving members, and a brake member. The rotation member is configured to be rotated in conjunction with the spool. The moving members are attached to the rotation member while being movable in a radial direction. The brake member is non-rotatably disposed in a reel unit. The brake member is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the moving members. The brake member is non-rotatably attached to either a side plate on a handle attached side or a side plate on an opposite side to the handle attached side. In the centrifugal brake device, centrifugal force acts on each moving member attached onto a guide shaft in response to spool rotation. Each moving member is herein outwardly moved in the radial direction of the spool shaft, and makes contact with the brake member. The spool is thus braked.
For example, Japan Patent Application Publication Nos. 11-075643 and 10-304799 describe well-known centrifugal brake devices configured to regulate brake force.
In the centrifugal brake device described in the Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-075643, a brake member includes a tapered surface with a diameter increased towards a plurality of moving members, and the position of the brake member in a spool shaft direction can be regulated by an operating member. A rotation member includes a plurality of guide shafts radially aligned, and each guide shaft extends perpendicularly to the tapered surface of the brake member. Each moving member is attached onto each guide shaft in a radially movable state. When the spool-shaft directional position of the brake member is regulated by the operating member, the contact position of each moving member onto the tapered surface is changed in the radial direction of the brake member. Brake force can be thereby regulated in a stepwise manner.
In the centrifugal brake device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-304799, a brake member includes a tapered surface with a diameter reduced towards a plurality of moving members, and the spool-shaft directional position of the brake member can be regulated by an operating member. Each moving member is disposed on a rotation member while being pivotable about an axis skew to a spool shaft. The tip of each moving member makes contact with the brake member. Even in the centrifugal brake device described in the publication, the spool-shaft directional position of the brake member can be thus regulated by the operating member.